Scene Mat TCAW #9
Mrs. Santa (Lydia Brazzi), Santa Claus (Albert Rablagiati) and
Mr. Whipple (Paul Tripp) at dinner discussing Santa's plight of
being evicted from his workshop at the North Pole in the Child-
hood Productions Eastman Color movie "The Christmas That
Almost Wasn't."

"The Christmas That Almost Wasn't"
in Tradition of Top Yuletide Tales

"The Christmas That Almost Wasn't," a musical fantasy opening ......... at the ......... Theatre, is a bright reflection of the enchanting tradition of such famous yuletide tales as "A Christmas Carol," "The Night Before Christmas," "Miracle on 34th Street" and "Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer."

The new, feature attraction in Eastman Color is an original story by Paul Tripp, the renowned creator and star of the award-winning children's television shows, "Mr. I. Magination," "On The Carousel" and the current "Birthday House."

BRAZZI'S DIRECTORIAL DEBUT Produced by Barry B. Yellen for release by Childhood Produc­tions, it is distinguished by the directorial debut of famed roman­tic actor, Rossano Brazzi, and stars Brazzi, Tripp, Alberto Rabagliati, Mischa Auer, Sonny Fox and Lydia Brazzi, the matinee idol's wife in her screen debut.

"The Christmas That Almost Wasn't"--a delightful blending of fantasy, comedy, suspense, song and dance--shares with the afore­mentioned Christmas classics, each of which has been translated onto film as a motion picture or tele­vision special, the quality of being a joyful experience for children and adults alike.

DESTINED AS YULETIDE CLASSIC Many great stories of the yule­tide season, the ones enjoying con­tinued popularity year after year, have certain characteristics in com­mon. From Dickens' immortal tale of Scrooge and Tiny Tim to the simple fable of the little, misfit reindeer, they all embody the spirit of generosity and celebrate the triumph of love and courage over all adversity.

Pitted against the Christmas spirit in "The Christmas That Almost Wasn't" is a villain whose fictional ancestor is, in fact, Mr. Scrooge of "A Christmas Carol." He is Phineas T. Prune, portrayed by Brazzi in a departure from his previous film portraits, an ill-tem­pered zillionaire who doesn't be­lieve in Christmas and is bitter toward all humanity, especially children.

Prune attempts to evict Santa Claus from his North Pole home and toy factory by purchasing the land and demanding his rent on Christmas Eve. Although the course of the two characters run along different paths, Prune, like Scrooge, reforms in the end and tries to help the people he once wronged.

The new musical film is in a class all by itself, but it does in­clude some highlight events simi­lar to some found in its famous predecessors. There is a race against time on Christmas Eve, as in "Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer;" there is a sequence in which the real Santa Claus makes the first Santa-in-Toyland appear­ance in a department store, the tradition which gave birth to the story of "Miracle on 34th Street;" and, finally, there is Santa's finest hour, so wonderfully captured in "The Night Before Christmas," in which he delivers his gifts to children throughout the world.

"The Christmas That Almost Wasn't" is further enhanced by gay and melodic songs with lyrics by Paul Tripp and music by Ray Carter, and a bouncing background scare by Bruno Nicolai, one of Italy's foremost composer-conduct­ors. Filmed in English in Rome, it is the first full-length feature made under the auspices of Childhood Productions, a leading dis­tributor of family films.

Scene Mat TCAW #8
Mean Mr. Prune (Rossano Brazzi) and his servant chasing the
children away from the toy department where Santa Claus works,
in the Childhood Productions Eastman Color movie "The Christ-
mas That Almost Wasn't."

"The Christmas That Almost Wasn't" Receives
Special Venice Film Festival Honor

The delightful fable that pits Santa Claus and the spirit of yuletide giving and goodwill against the machinations of an ill-tempered zillionaire stars Brazzi, renowned children's TV entertain­ers Paul Tripp and Sonny Fox, Lydia Brazzi, Alberto Rabagliati and Mischa Auer.

"The Christmas That Almost Wasn't" is an original story by Tripp, who also wrote the screen­play and the lyrics of the lilting songs with music by Ray Carter. The background score is by Bruno Nicolai, one of Italy's foremost composer-conductors.

Alberto Rabagliati
Biography

Alberto Rabagliati, actor and singer once known as the "Bing Crosby of Italy," stars as Santa Claus in "The Christ­mas That Almost Wasn't," a feature-length musical fantasy produced in Eastman Color by Barry B. Yellen.

Rabagliati's portrayal in the new Childhood Productions release, which marks the directorial debut of romantic actor, Rossano Brazzi, is of a very worried Santa who is on the verge of being evicted from his home in the North Pole. The role solidly demonstrates the versatility and wide creative range of the Italian star.

When he began his career many years ago, Rabagliati was tall, slim and darkly handsome with sensual lips, features which won for him a widely publiziced Hol­lywood contest to find the succes­sor to the late Rudolph Valentino. He arrived in California with a Twentieth-Century Fox contract, and made a marked impression on American women, although his film debut was rather modest.

From Hollywood he went to Latin America, and there began singing professionally, fashioning a very intimate style. His success in this venture was enormous, and after touring in the major cities of North and South America, he returned to his native Italy. There his singing career continued sen­sationally. He was one of his na­tion's most popular singers of the forties, earning him the afore­mentioned title of "The Bing Crosby of Italy."

A few appearances in successful musical motion pictures followed. Then came a series of one-night concert stands throughout Europe, with a repertoire consisting of famous songs such as "La Madunina" and "Sposi."

In recent years, as he gained weight and lost some of his high­ly romantic good looks, Rabagliati began receiving offers from film producers to play character parts. His abilities in those roles were so impressive, his services now are in constant demand. His most re­cent film appearance was in Pietro Germi's "Signore E Signori," in which he plays a cuckolded hus­band.

So the singer who started out to be an actor, is now acting again, and in "The Christmas That Almost Wasn't" also stars Brazzi, his wife, Lydia Brazzi, in her film debut, Paul Tripp, Mischa Auer and Sonny Fox. Tripp wrote the original story and screenplay and the lyrics for the film's lilting songs with music by Ray Carter.

Scene Mat TCAW #6
Mean Mr. Prune (Rossano Brazzi) and his servant frightening
the children in the department store so that they will go away
from Santa in the Childhood Productions Eastman Color movie
"The Christmas That Almost Wasn't."

Barry B. Yellen
Biography

Barry B. Yellen, a dynamic man of enterprise whose involvement in whatever he does is total and complete, is the producer of "The Christmas That Almost Wasn't." The delightful musical fantasy is the first feature-length production to be made under the auspices of Childhood Productions, a leading distributor of family films headed by Mr. Yellen.

The new motion picture in East­man Color, is a humorous and warmly tender Christmas story written for the screen by Paul Tripp, the celebrated creator of children's TV entertainment ("Mr. I. Magination," "On the Carousel" and "Birthday House"). It stars Rossano Brazzi, Tripp, Alberto Rabagliato, Lydia Brazzi, Mischa Auer and Sonny Fox, and was di­rected by Brazzi in his debut be­hind the cameras.

ENTERPRISING PRODUCER Bringing together all these unique and varied talents, several of whom, like Brazzi, are playing roles in the film that are a wide departure from their customary types, is an example of the kind of enterprise Yellen knows how to achieve with exceptional ease and imagination. Brooks Atkinson once wrote of him in the New York Times, "Mr. Yellen is an able and energetic young man who does not give up or give in."

PRODUCER-DIRECTOR AT AGE 21 Born in New York City, he at­tended the Professional Children's School there, and received thorough and practical theatrical training from his earliest years. There never was any question that the world of entertainment was to be his life's work.

Upon his graduation from school, he worked as a stage manager, de­signer, technical director or actor in over one hundred professional productions in different cities of touring, and at the amazingly young age of twenty-one, he was given the position of Stage Pro­ducer-Director for the George P. Johnson Company of Detroit, and acted for them in that capacity on the American Motors Industrialist Show.

PRODUCES IN PUERTO RICO Following three years with the company, Yellen journeyed to Puerto Rico, where he founded and became managing director of the San Juan Drama Festival. From 1958-1961 he produced twenty-eight full scale musical and dra­matic plays. The productions were of such high quality, featuring top stars in fine plays, that they received wide-spread attention. 'Time' Magazine said of one pro­duction, "Last week nothing on the boards in any major capitol could compare to the Drama Fest­ival that was taking place in rela­tively small San Juan, Puerto Rico."

JOINS SKOURAS THEATRES He returned from San Juan to join United Artists-Skouras Thea­tres in their legitimate theatre booking department as developer of new projects. He later became Director of Advertising and Pro­motion for the entire chain of movie houses. In 1964, he left that position and formed Childhood Productions, Inc., of which he is President.

Married and the father of three daughters, Mr. Yellen has ample opportunity to get firsthand in­formation on what children want and what appeals to them in mo­tion pictures, and translate those feelings directly into production ideas.

"The Christmas That Almost Wasn't" features a number of lilting original songs with lyrics by Paul Tripp and music by Ray Carter.

Rossano Brazzi and
Lydia Brazzi Together
In Films For First Time

Considering that Rossano Brazzi has appeared in over 100 motion pictures, the professional paths of Rossano and Lydia Brazzi cross for the first time in "The Chrismas That Almost Wasn't", a Child­hood Productions release in East­man Color.

In this film, Rossano Brazzi makes his debut as a Director and also stars as mean Mr. Prune. His wife Lydia portrays Mrs. Santa Claus. Director Brazzi has nothing but praise for his wife's per­formance.

"I would not be surprised if some day she wins an Academy Award" claims Mr. Brazzi.. While Rossano Brazzi is settling down to a career behind the camera, Mrs. Brazzi is building a reputation as an actress.